by Amy Brent
“No morning sickness?”
“It’s too early for that,” I said. “The doctor warned me it might start happening in a few more weeks, though. But it’s not bad for everyone. Maybe I’ll get lucky.”
“I hope so,” Ethan said. “Do you need anything?”
“No,” I said.
“You’re sure? I can get whatever you need. Money isn’t an obstacle here. If you wake up at three in the morning craving Manhattan’s most expensive steak, I can get it for you in less than an hour.”
I blinked at him. Was he being serious? Did he really mean I could have anything I wanted, and I just needed to ask? “No, I’m fine,” I said again, not wanting to be a burden on him. This was a business deal. I already felt like things were getting a little too personal with all the sex, not that I was going to complain. The sex was too good, and I was more than willing to accept it as a perk of the surrogacy program.
“You’re sure?”
“Ethan,” I said, unable to hide my smile, “don’t worry. I have money, too, now. Remember? If I need something, I’m more than capable of getting it for myself.”
“Yeah, I know that, but I can still help you with things. You’re not in this thing by yourself, you know.”
“Doting Daddy already, huh?” I winked.
Ethan grinned more broadly than I had ever seen. The urge to knock him to the ground and ride him again swelled up inside me like a tsunami. I blushed fiercely and looked away as he ran his fingers through his hair. Even that simple motion was a turn on.
“I just want to make sure you’re taken care of,” Ethan said, “because you deserve to be. I know this probably isn’t how you saw yourself having a child, and I’m grateful for your,” he paused, trying to find the right word, “sacrifice.”
“This isn’t a sacrifice,” I told him firmly. “This is something that benefits us both. And if it makes you feel better, if I need you, I’ll call. I promise.”
He nodded, and I noticed a tension in his shoulders vanish. “Good. That’s all I wanted to hear. You just make sure you follow through with that. Any time is a good time.”
“Okay, Ethan,” I said, smiling again.
I walked him out and watched him walk down the narrow hallway to the stairwell five doors down from my apartment. At the door, he paused and looked back at me. Then, after a small wave, he vanished, and the door slammed closed behind him.
I slipped back into my apartment and locked all the locks on my door. I rested my shoulder blades against it and sighed. I felt content. I was at peace. Great sex was an amazing thing.
I shook my head. No, it was more than that.
Ethan Garrison naked on my bed with the biggest hard-on I had ever seen was an amazing thing. Fucking him had been euphoric.
I wanted to do it again.
Chapter Nine
Ethan
I had been awake for almost twenty minutes by the time I actually decided to get out of bed. I had been staring at my ceiling the whole time thinking about the baby. My baby. I was going to be a father. The notion was thrilling and terrifying all at once. I wasn’t going to be alone anymore. There was going to be someone who needed me, someone I could share everything with, including my billions.
But I was nervous because I already knew people would have their thoughts and opinions on the matter. In eight months, a random baby was going to pop up with no explanations. I was all of a sudden going to be a daddy to a most likely dark-haired bright-eyed wonder of a child. No one would know who the mother was.
People would talk. They would probably assume I had knocked some girl up, and she had been incapable of raising the child. It wouldn’t be that farfetched of a theory. Some of the women, a lot of the women, I had slept with weren’t necessarily the responsible or motherly sort. In fact, they usually weren’t. I gravitated to the women who exuded issues with authority. Like Keddy, the blond bartender.
It didn’t matter what people thought. I was doing what was best for me and my business, and I was helping Devon out too. We both needed this solution.
I went about my morning routine as my thoughts ran rampant with naked images of Devon. The way she had ridden me last night had blown my mind. Her tight little pussy had looked so good when she rode me backward.
I exercised, showered, ate breakfast, and proceeded to get ready for work by throwing on my best black suit and my watch.
I took the Maserati to work where I went through the mundane routine of my weekly meetings with investors, private companies, and clients located all over the world. Half of my meetings were in person while others were virtual.
Halfway through the day, my phone buzzed. I was struck with an odd expectation that it was Devon. When I looked down at the name on the screen and saw Heather’s, I felt a little disappointed.
“Hey, sis,” I said, sitting at my desk and twirling a pen over my knuckles. “What’s up?”
“Hey,” Heather said. I could hear traffic in the background. “I was in the area and wanted to know if you had any spare time to grab lunch together? I was thinking The Montego on Fourth?”
I glanced at my watch. I had two hours before my next meeting. “Yeah, you close?”
“I’ll be there in fifteen.”
“See you then,” I said, hanging up the phone as I made my way out of the office.
Heather was already at the restaurant when I arrived. She was sipping on a martini that was olive-free—she hated olives and referred to them as green pits of shit—when I tapped her elbow. She stood, gave me a hug, and then we both took our seats and ordered our meals.
“How are things?” Heather asked once the waiter left the table.
“Good,” I said, my brain going into overdrive as I consciously made sure not to say anything about Devon. She had been the most prominent thing on my mind for nearly three weeks now, and I was used to telling my sister all the goings-on in my life. To keep this one under wraps was going to be tricky, especially since Devon was her best friend. A little flicker of guilt lit inside my belly.
“Just good?” Heather said skeptically as she sipped her martini.
“You know how it is. Just busy with work. Haven’t really had any spare time to do anything interesting. What about you?”
“I’m good,” she nodded. “Keeping busy too. I talked to Mom on the phone last night. She wants to try to have us both over for dinner sometime soon. If your schedule clears up, you should give her a call so she can make plans. You know how much she loves to plan.”
“Oh, I know,” I chuckled, resting my napkin across my knee. “Obsessive compulsiveness will do that to a person.”
“That’s why she’s so good at it,” Heather said.
“Yep, think of how beautiful your wedding will be when the time comes. You won’t even need to hire anyone. Mom will handle the whole thing for you.”
“I don’t know if I should be looking forward to that or dreading it.”
“Probably a little bit of both.” I laughed.
The rest of lunch was pleasant. I struggled to keep my mouth shut about Devon and was shocked to catch myself nearly talking about her a handful of times. I quite literally could not stop thinking about her. It was a little jarring.
When lunch was over, Heather and I said our goodbyes, and I hopped in my car to head to Devon’s apartment. I wasn’t sure if she would be home, but I knew I needed to see her. I needed to see way more of her. I didn’t like that she was living on the other side of the city in a seedy area with no one around to keep her safe or just keep her company.
The idea of her walking around that dingy little apartment when she was six-months pregnant unsettled me. I wasn’t going to stand for it. At the end of the day, she was the mother of my child, and I was going to treat her as such.
Devon opened the door and blinked at me. “Hi, Ethan,” she said, doing a poor job of hiding her surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too,” I said, nodding past her. “May I come in fo
r a moment?”
“Sorry. Yes, of course.” She stepped aside and waved her arm to invite me in. I kept my shoes on and followed her into the living room. “Do you want something? Tea? Coffee? Water?”
“No, thank you. I’m all right,” I said, casting my gaze around the place. It was tiny. Probably only six hundred and fifty square feet. Maybe seven hundred if I counted the cubicle-sized balcony I hadn’t noticed the night before. Some of the baseboards were cracked and had come apart from the walls in certain areas. The paint on the walls was chipped and in some places cracked. Parts of the ceiling were stained yellow.
Her eye for design had saved it from looking like a dump. She used bright colors to liven the place up, and it definitely held a cozy sort of appeal, but I still wasn’t happy about it. I clasped my hands together and considered the best approach to my proposal.
“Ethan,” she said nervously. “What is this about?” Her big green eyes were flicking back and forth between mine, and her lips were slightly parted. I had an insane urge to push my finger between her lips until she bit down on my knuckles. A rush of excitement shot straight to my crotch.
Now was not the time.
I cleared my throat. “Well, I wanted to discuss a living arrangement with you, actually.”
“A living arrangement?” she asked, crossing her arms and popping one hip out. I forced myself not to trace the dramatic curve of her body with my eyes.
“Yes. This place is nice, Dev, but let’s be realistic here. It’s not going to work in a few more months. You’ll need more space than this. Besides, if I’m being totally honest, I don’t like the idea of you living here. The area isn’t good, and the building is falling apart.”
“Well, I don’t have anywhere to go. Even if I did, I like living here. I’m only a short walk to my classes.”
“Right,” I said, expecting the resistance, “but you can’t tell me this place is safe.”
“It’s not unsafe,” she protested with a scowl.
“Then why do you have three locks on your door?” I asked, matching her stance and crossing my arms over my chest.
She opened her mouth to retort and then promptly closed it.
“Exactly,” I said. “I want you to be safe. I want the baby to be safe. This is important to me. I think it would be best for all of us if you move into my place. There’s plenty of room,” I added when she opened her mouth again, “and you’ll have free reign of the house and plenty of time to yourself. I can arrange for a driver to take you to and pick you up from all your classes.”
“Ethan, I don’t know. This seems like a lot. I don’t think it’s the best idea. Not to mention I just signed my new lease for the year.”
“I had promised to take care of you and the baby, remember? That involves making sure you have everything that you need. I’ll cover the cost to get you out of the contract.”
She shifted her weight to her other foot and looked at the floor. “What about Heather? I don’t want her knowing about our arrangement. Won’t it be hard to keep it a secret if I’m living with you?”
“Nah,” I said, shaking my head. “She never comes by unannounced. It will all work out. Listen, Dev, you’re moving in. This weekend.”
“Now, hang on a second I’m not sure—”
“This weekend,” I said again, this time more firmly. “No more questions. I have to protect you and that child. It’s important. And this,” I gestured at the apartment, “isn’t working for me.”
She stared at me solemnly for a minute. I could tell she wasn’t happy with me. I knew she would get over it. She took a deep breath and blew it out dramatically, her cheeks puffing out like a blowfish. Then she threw her hands in the air. “Fine, whatever. Have it your way.”
“You bet your perfect little ass I’ll have it my way.” I grinned, not caring that my words seemed to ruffle her feathers even more. “Get packing. I’ll be here with a moving company on Sunday morning. Leave all the big stuff for them to pack. Just worry about your clothes and whatnot.”
“Fine,” she said.
“Fine,” I mocked in a more cheerful tone. I didn’t miss the small smile that tugged the corners of her lips.
I made for her door, and she followed me, her slippered feet shuffling across the carpet. I opened her door and paused in the hallway to look back at her. “You know what will be really nice?” I asked.
“What?” She was still doing her best to act like she was mad at me.
“You won’t have to climb the stairs all the time. The elevator in my building actually works. Imagine that?”
She rolled her eyes, and that smile I loved so much finally appeared. “You know, my doctor says exercise is good for me.”
“There’s a pool, too,” I said with a small shrug. I noticed the gleam in her eye. “I know you used to be a swimmer in high school.”
“Yeah,” she said, “a pool would be nice.”
I leaned in without thinking, planted a kiss on her cheek, and then made my way down the hall. I hurried down the staircase and out into the crisp air and blinding sunlight.
I felt better than I had before. Having Devon close by would ease my conscience. I could help her without her having to ask me for it, and I would be able to ensure she and the baby were safe and sound at all times.
And, another added bonus would be having her walking around my place all the time. That ass, those eyes, those tits, her body in general. I couldn’t complain about the view I was about to be privy to.
I caught myself grinning like a fool as I turned onto my street.
Get a grip, man, I thought to myself, this girl is going to ruin you.
Chapter Ten
Devon
All of my moving boxes were broken down in the bedroom Ethan had prepared for me. We had finally finished unpacking and everything was as it should be. It was a beautiful room with a four-poster bed adorned in sheer white drapes. I couldn’t deny that I loved it. He had anticipated my needs perfectly.
Lavender and vanilla candles decorated nearly every surface. I had my own vanity, which he had stocked with luxurious lotions, perfumes, body scrubs, ointments, serums, and other beauty products. The floors were covered with plush white carpets, so I didn’t have to walk on the cool, obsidian floors with bare feet.
My room had its own bathroom as well. It was outfitted with a deep, clawed-foot tub that I couldn’t wait to sink into. There was a rain shower around a corner with no door and a frosted glass window. I was going to bask in the lap of luxury for the next eight months.
And yet, as I sat across from him at the dinner table, I couldn’t help feeling annoyed. He had, deliberately or not, taken away my choice. I was sure that, eventually, I would have agreed to move in with him, maybe not until I was three or four months along in the pregnancy, but eventually, I would have seen the reason for his position. But right now, I just felt irritated.
We had argued about it yesterday when he’d dropped by to see how my packing was going. It hadn’t been going well, mostly because I didn’t want to pack. I didn’t want to leave my little apartment that I had been living in for nearly four years. It was mine. It was home.
Ethan hadn’t understood why I was so attached to the place. I could see, from his perspective, why it might not make sense. He lived in a penthouse in the most beautiful part of Manhattan, while I lived in a shoebox with peeling paint and barely enough room to do yoga in the mornings in front of my TV.
But it didn’t matter whether or not he understood why I loved it. The fact of the matter was he had bulldozed me, and nothing I said yesterday had helped him see that.
I poked at the Thai food on my plate. Ethan had ordered in because we hadn’t finished unpacking and moving some of my things into storage until later than expected. It was probably due to all the arguing.
“Stop scowling at your food,” Ethan said at the other end of the table. “It didn’t make you move. I did.”
I looked up at him and huffed out a breath. Then, I sta
rted eating. I couldn’t deprive myself of food just to prove a point. There was a little human beginning to take form in me, and I had to make sure I was taking care of myself so the baby would be healthy.
The Thai food was delicious. My appetite over the last week had increased, and I wasn’t too shy to hold back from devouring the food. If Ethan noticed, he refrained from saying anything. Had the situation not been so tense, maybe he would have felt more willing to make a joke.
“Is it good?” he asked after we had been sitting in silence for almost five minutes.
“Yes, thank you,” I said, not forgetting my manners despite still being upset with him.
“Good,” he said.
“It’s actually the best Thai food I’ve ever tasted,” I confessed. I afforded a quick glance up at him. He was smiling at his plate while he stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork. I regretted the nice words. “Even though I’m not usually a Thai fan.”
He looked up, and I saw the furrow of his brow before he managed to tame it. “Why didn’t you say so before we ordered?”
Because I was lying. I loved Thai. I shrugged. “Because I figured you liked it.”
Ethan put his fork down and rested both his wrists on the edge of the table. “I don’t want to be force-feeding you food over the next eight months that you don’t like simply because you’re unwilling to speak up.”